Method for the preparation of anhydrous hydrogen halides, inorganic substances and/or inorganic hydrides by using as reactants inorganic halides and reducing agents

Abstract

A method for completely reducing an inorganic halide to obtain a non-halogen inorganic substance and/or hydride thereof and preferably anhydrous hydrogen halide fluid using inorganic halide substances, such as sulfur hexafluoride, nitrogen trifluoride, tungsten hexafluoride, uranium hexafluoride and others by reduction with a reducing agent at a proper temperature. The reducing agents may be molecular hydrogen, inorganic hydrides and inorganic metallic elements; molecular hydrogen is preferable, but in certain instances the inorganic hydrides are used, as well as inorganic metallic elements such as calcium and magnesium.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for the synthesis of anhydrous hydrogen halide and at least one non-halogen inorganic substance comprising: fully and anhydrously reacting one or more inorganic halides with only one reducing agent to produce anhydrous hydrogen halide and at least one non-halogen inorganic substance, wherein the reducing agent is hydrogen and wherein the reaction is carried out at a reaction zone temperature such that T m ≦T RZ <T b , wherein T m  is the melting point of the non-halogen inorganic substance, T RZ  is the temperature of the reaction zone, and T b  is the boiling point of the non-halogen inorganic substance. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more inorganic halides comprises an inorganic fluoride. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more inorganic halides comprises at least one of: inorganic chloride, inorganic bromide and inorganic iodide. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction is carried out at a reaction zone temperature that is within 15% of a temperature determined using the following formula:
     T   RZ   =[E   e   +E   H   ][T   m   +T   b ]/[ψ x   E   e   +E   x ]
 
 wherein the T is the temperature of the reaction zone; 
 T m  is the melting point in Kelvin of the non-halogen inorganic substance of the inorganic halide; 
 T b  is the boiling point in Kelvin of the non-halogen inorganic substance of the inorganic halide; 
 E e  is the PES of the non-halogen inorganic substance of the inorganic halide; 
 E H  is the PES of hydrogen; 
 E x  is the PES of the halogen in the inorganic halide; and 
 ψ x  is a value selected from a range determined by the following formula:
   Σ=ψ x   +E   x  
 
 
 wherein 6.10<Σ<6.25. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein the one or more inorganic halides are metal halides and the at least one non-halogen inorganic substance is a metal. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more inorganic halides comprises sulfur hexafluoride and the at least one non-halogen inorganic substance comprises elemental sulfur. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more inorganic halides comprises nitrogen trifluoride and the at least one non-halogen inorganic substance comprises nitrogen. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more inorganic halides comprises tungsten hexafluoride and the at least one non-halogen inorganic substance comprises elemental tungsten. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more inorganic halides comprises uranium hexafluoride and the at least non-halogen inorganic substance comprises elemental uranium. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more inorganic halides are metal halides and the at least one non-halogen inorganic substance is a metal. 
     
     
       11. A method for the synthesis of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and at least one non-halogen inorganic substance comprising: anhydrously reacting one or more inorganic fluorides with only one reducing agent to produce anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and at least one non-halogen inorganic substance, wherein the reducing agent is hydrogen and wherein the reaction is carried out at a reaction zone temperature such that T m ≦T RZ ≦T b , wherein T m  is the melting point of the non-halogen inorganic substance, T RZ  is the temperature of the reaction zone, and T b  is the boiling point of the non-halogen inorganic substance. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the reaction is a thermo-reducing reaction, and wherein a reaction zone temperature is within 15% of a temperature determined using the following formula:
     T   RZ   =[E   e   +E   H   ][T   m   +T   b ]/[ψ F   E   e   +E   F ]
 
 wherein the T RZ  is the temperature of the reaction zone; 
 T m  is the melting point in Kelvin of the non-halogen inorganic substance of the inorganic fluoride; 
 T b  is the boiling point in Kelvin of the non-halogen inorganic substance of the inorganic fluoride; 
 E e  is the PES of the non-halogen inorganic substance of the inorganic fluoride; 
 E H  is the PES of hydrogen; 
 E F  is the PES of fluorine; and 
 ψ F  is a value selected from a range determined by the following formula:
   Σ=ψ F   +E   F  
 
 
 wherein 6.10≦Σ≦6.25. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein ψ F  is 2.20 and the thermo-reducing reaction is conducted in a thermo-reducing reactor. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more inorganic fluorides are metal fluorides and the at least one non-halogen inorganic substance is a metal. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more inorganic fluorides comprise uranium hexafluoride, and the at least one non-halogen inorganic substance is elemental uranium. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more inorganic fluorides are metal fluorides and the at least one non-halogen inorganic substance is a metal.